Seamless Teleconferencing Audio Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conference calls with multiple co-located devices often experience unstable audio feedback loops, leading to echo and howling, which can be distracting and undesirable for participants. Additionally, participants speaking far from the microphone may not be heard clearly.
Innovation Solution
The system selects a first microphone and speaker for an audio call from multiple devices in proximity, inhibits all other microphones and speakers, and then switches to a second microphone after aligning the audio streams to prevent echo and ensure better audio quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple devices are used in a conference room for audio calls, then audio coverage is improved and participants far from microphones can be heard, but unstable audio feedback loops are created causing echo and howling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple audio streams from co-located devices into a single unified audio output. The system identifies devices in proximity, selects microphones from these devices, and combines their audio streams while inhibiting speakers to prevent feedback loops. This combining approach maintains audio coverage benefits while eliminating echo and howling through centralized audio management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary audio processing system that acts as a mediator between multiple device microphones and the conference call audio stream. This intermediary system processes audio streams, performs alignment, selects optimal microphones, and manages speaker inhibition, thereby preventing harmful feedback loops while maintaining comprehensive audio coverage.
2Manufacturing precision
If audio streams from multiple microphones are combined, then audio quality is improved, but audio feedback loops become unstable causing distracting echo
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates the harmful feedback loop component from the useful audio capture function. By identifying and inhibiting speakers that would create feedback, the system removes the unstable element while preserving the beneficial audio capture from multiple microphones. The audio streams are processed and combined without the destabilizing speaker output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by proactively inhibiting speakers before they can create harmful feedback loops. The system identifies co-located devices and preemptively mutes their speakers while selectively activating only the necessary microphones for audio capture. This preventive measure eliminates the possibility of echo and howling before they can occur.
3Reliability
If only one device microphone is used, then audio feedback loops are minimized, but participants speaking far from that microphone are not heard clearly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic microphone selection and audio stream switching based on real-time conditions. The system continuously monitors audio quality metrics and participant positions, dynamically selecting the optimal microphone from available devices. This dynamic approach ensures both feedback stability and accurate capture of participants regardless of their position in the conference room.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the dimension of spatial distribution by utilizing microphones from multiple co-located devices positioned at different locations in the conference room. This multi-dimensional audio capture approach ensures comprehensive coverage of all participants while the system manages feedback stability through coordinated speaker inhibition and selective microphone activation.
Data Source
AI summary
Presented herein are techniques for seamless teleconferencing. A method can include selecting a first microphone for an audio call, the first microphone associated with a first device of multiple devices that are in proximity to one another and are each connected to the audio call. The method can further include selecting a first speaker for the audio call, the first speaker associated with one of the multiple devices. The method can further include inhibiting audio associated with all microphones and speakers associated with the multiple devices except for the first microphone and the first speaker. The method can further include switching to a second microphone associated with a second device of the multiple devices after a period of time by aligning audio streams of the first microphone and of the second microphone, inhibiting audio associated with the first microphone after the aligning, and enabling audio associated with the second microphone.